Motorcycle resto: the engine install

If you like to tinker with your bike at the weekend, check out this week’s YouTube Saturday Sessions clip. The Honda CB550 owned by New York agency Woods Witt Dealy & Sons is starting to come together as we install the engine into the frame, and hook up the intake and exhaust components.

“A bit of pipe insulation, or rags and painter’s tape helps avoid scratches on the powder-coated frame when re-installing an engine,” advises E3 Motorcycles’ David Browning. “We also taped off the exhaust studs, to protect the front frame rails. Slow and steady wins the race here.”

After carefully torquing everything to manufacturer’s specs, we get into the valve timing and ignition/electrical items. “When the bike arrived, the carbs were out of sync—and were also missing a few key parts from the linkages. So I cannibalized some parts from a donor set, and got into rebuilding and reassembly.”

The intake manifold gaskets and boots were replaced with OEM components. And finally, a new 4-into-1 Yoshimura replica exhaust system was offered up to the engine.